Mechanism for extinguishing fires in grain or malt mills



(No Model.) 3Sheet-s--Sh-eet 1.

G. J. HEXAMER. MEGHANISMFOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN GRAIN 0R MALT MILLS.

Patented Nov. 24, 1885..

INVENTOR! WITN ESSES N. PETERS. PhotLrLilhugnphnr. Washingtum DC.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 2. C. J. HEXAMER.

MECHANISM FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN GRAIN 0R MALT MILLS. No. 331,058. PatentedNov. 24,1885.

- WITNESSES: V INVENTOR MVP. fw

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. J. HE XAMER. MECHANISM FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN GRAIN-OR MALT MILLS. No. 331,058. Patented Nov. 24,1885.

WITNESSES: v INVENTOR 2% WW, I 6M I 'f/MLmW NllTlED Starts PATENT @rrrca CHARLES JOHN HEXAMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANISM FOR EXTlNGUlSHlNG FIRES IN GRAIN OR MALT MILLS.

5PLECIFICATIN formin part of Letters Patent his. 331,058, dated November 2%, 1885.

Application filed March 16, 1885. Serial No. 159,001. (NomodelJ T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES JOHN HEXA- MER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Extinguishing Fires in Grain or Malt Mills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of. a grain'mill provided with my improvement-s; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a plan, and Fig. 4, a detail, cnlarged,oi' steam-valve-opening devices. 5

My invention relates to means for extinguishing fires resulting from dust-explosion in malt or grain mills. In my Letters Patent N 0. 292,488, dated January 29, 188st, and also in an application for a patent filed by me August 24,, 1883, Serial No. 104;,622, I have shown and described mechanism for this purpose, and my present invent-ion is an improvement upon those of said patent and pending application.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A is the cleaner-box of an ordinary malt or grain mill. B is the hopper into which the grain falls from the cleaner contained within box A, thence descending between the usual rollers, 0, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) journaled within the mill-box D. The crushed malt or grain drops into an inclined chute, E, which communicates with the interior of the elevator-boot F,leading to the upper stories of the building.

It is a well-known fact that serious fires have resulted from explosions of the impalpable dust or powder formed within the mill-box in the process of crushing the grain, which dust has become ignited by sparks caused by the crushingrollers G striking some hard foreign body in the grain. By the application of my improvement such fires are either absolutely prevented or are extinguished at their incipiency.

In carrying out'my invention I suspend one side, D, of the mill-box by means of hingesf on the upper edge thereof, whereby, in case of an explosion within the box, the side will be free to be blown open, and thus provide a vent for the gases, and at the same time open the valve of the steam-supply pipe, as herein after described. Near the lower edge of the part D, I secure a trigger, h,whose outer extremity has attached thereto a vertically-depending rod, t", bearinga weight, 9'. to the latter rod, at it, is the long arm of a lever, q, pivoted to a lug, q, of the valve chamber Z, whose short arm impinges against the stud s of a well-known form of spring cook or valve contained within said chamber Z of the pipe m,leading from the steam-boiler. The horizontal trigger h has an offset or downward projection, a, which bears against the face of a lug, 0, that is bolted to thelframework P of the mill, all as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The steam-pipe has a branch, 9", opening into the mill-box, and pipes 9 leading into the elevatonboot F.

In case of an explosion within the mill-box, the side or door D will be blown outward,and the lug g,attached to said door,bearing against the under side of the trigger h, releases the latter from the log 0,- and it will be obvious the rod 2' will instantly drop, and the short end of the lever q will be forced against the valve-stud 5, thereby opening the valve and allowing the steam to rush into the mill-box and elevator-boot.

tis simply a standard with an eye, a, there in, through which the trigger it passes. The object of this is merely to limit the throw of the said trigger,in order to prevent it from striking the mill attendant or other person who may be standing by when the explosion occurs.

w, Fig. 2, is a small door hinged to the movable side D,in order to permit the inspection of the interior of the mill-box whenever desired. The lug 9 may be dispensed with,in which case the lower edge of the hinged part D would rest against or contiguous to the ad jacent end of the trigger h.

Although the hopper will usually be filled with the grain or malt,whose weight or inertia will form a barrier or resistance to the force of an explosion within the mill-box in an upward direction, I provide a means for extinguishing the fire in case it should accidentally find its way up through or into the hopper. This consists of a rope, o, preferably saturated with some inflammable substance, whose lower extremity is fastened to the side of the hopper,near the bottom thereof, and extending upon the inside of the hop- Pivoted or partition 00, and connects with the upper end of a vertical rod, 1', bearing a weight, 9'. This rod is pivoted to the long arm of a pivoted lever, g whose short arm bears upon the outer end of the stud sof atnormal1y'-closed= valve within a chamber, Z, of a water-supply pipe, P 1?. These parts are similar in their construction and operation to'th'e like parts as previously described in connection with the steam-supply pipe.

WVith the main supply-pipe P P are connected distributing-pipes p p, running-along the ceiling of the apartment in which themillbox is situated. These pipes have a series of sprinklingfapertures in the lowers'ides thereof. Should the fire extend up into theh-opper, the flames willsever the rope '0 by burning thesame, whereupon the weighted rod 1" will fall,and the short arm of.lever g pressing against the valve-rod 8, opens the valve, and the escaping water sprinkles and floods the room.

I prefer, also, to make the rope in two sections, and join them together by means-ofa fusible plug or connection, y, Fig. 2, that is adapted to melt at a temperature of, say,150 Fahrenheit, so that in case theflames shall not sever the rope the rod i will be allowed to drop by the fusing of said connection.

Having thus-described my invention,I.claim as newand desire to secure by Letters1Patent.,

.and tripping devices for operating said valve by the sudden movement of said hinged side of the mill-box by the force of a dust-explosion within the latter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'2. The combination, with the mill-box, of

the hinged-part or side I), the trigger provid- -ed .Withthe notch or offset n, the lug o, the

steam-supply pipe leading into the mill-box, the weighted rod 1', and a normally-closed valve in said steam-pipe, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, in a grain or malt mill, the hopper, the inflammable rope extending and secured within the same, the Water-supply flooding-pipe, the normally-closed valve, and the Weighted rod adapted to open said valve by its descent, the upper end of said rope being connected with said weighted rod, all-constructed and adapted to operate sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this'28th day of February, A. .D. 1885.

CHARLES JOHN HEXAMER.

' Witnesses JOHN NOLAN, LIsLE'SToKEs.

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